Cassava processing can play a major role in mitigating the food crisis in Zambia, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has said.
Speaking at the commissioning of a cassava processing plant at Carnival Resort in Lusaka at the weekend, FAO representative in Zambia, Dr Noureddin Mona, said the global food crisis required concerted efforts from the private sector, government and the donor community, according to Zambia Daily Mail.
Cassava would play a major role in food security if more machinery to process it were imported into Zambia, which produces 1 million tons of cassava a year.
He said the initiative to commission a processing plant could not have come at a better time than now when soaring food prices had disturbed food security in most parts of the world.
"On behalf of the FAO, I congratulate Authentic Foods Zambia Limited for this noble and commendable achievement," he said.
The FAO in collaboration with the Zambian government was targeting 5,000 small-scale cassava farmers in Serenje, Mansa and Samfya in Central and Luapula provinces.
He said the overall objective of the project was to enhance food security through profitable cassava production systems, increased market access and value addition.
Increased market access and value addition were key to the commercialization of cassava. The FAO therefore encourages the initiative.
He commended other animal feed companies that were involved in cassava processing initiatives.
"These initiatives resonate with our objective to improve livelihoods through commercializing cassava.
"It is for this reason (that) we found it appropriate to co-host this lunch with Authentic Foods," he said.
Incomes from cassava have remained low due to poor or the absence of value addition.
Authentic Foods chief executive, Emmanuel Chileshe, said cassava could be used as an alternative to maize meal and was easier to grow because it required lesser rainfall.
Chileshe said the core mission of his company was to process cassava into various foods through intensified research and processing technology.
Source:Xinhua
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